How Much Milk Does He Drink?
With my first child I noticed that at every doctor's appointment after the age of one the above question was asked. Since I never introduced milk into his diet the next question was always, "Do you do soy or rice milk instead?" followed by "How much?" or "Does he get dairy products somewhere?"
He was not allergic to milk, but since he nursed till he was two I felt no need to introduce the milk of another animal into his diet when what he was getting from me was, I felt, superior. And honestly, even if he had weaned earlier I wouldn't have introduced milk because I have always believed it is the perfect food for baby cows, not humans.
Oddly enough, this simple question, "How much milk does your child drink" is so standard in doctors offices that parents who choose for some reason not to include dairy in the diet of their children are treated as at least weird, or worse, neglectful.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070721205957AAx56vS
The Answer
The answer to the above question is a resounding "NO". A child can be perfectly healthy and even have superior health without the presence of dairy in their diet. You do however, as a parent have to work to insure that your child gets the nutrients that they need from other food sources.
Here is an abstract from Pediatrics on a recent article showing that milk consumption does not in fact strengthen bones more so than other sources or even exercise. -
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/115/3/736
Here is another website with common milk myths:
www.milkmyths.org.uk
I even found a video on a network news station that supports this idea! Notice how the Pediatrician still refuses to change her advise despite the research showing that dairy does not increase the health of bones!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7115733/
Helpful Tips on a Healthy Diet Without Dairy
I wanted to include this info from a LaLecheLeague leader that I know. She has some great tips on replacing dairy products with foods high in nutritional value.
1. Babies who drink cow's milk should be on whole milk until they are 3 years old.
2. Cow's milk is for baby cows.
3. Any human can live a very healthy life without cow's milk products (many people can not digest it or are allergic to it)
4. Cow's milk provides calcium (though not extremely absorb able) also protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The vitamins A & D are added to the milk. There is no iron in cow's milk or much of the water soluble vitamins left after pasteurization.
5. Humans need lots of leafy greens, calciferous veggies (broccoli), beans, legumes (lentils, peanuts), tree nuts, fruit (anything that falls off a bush or tree including tomatoes, zucchini, apples, etc) and plenty of water. Some humans add fish, poultry and other meats. Eggs are another great source of protein. Grains in their whole form are a good source of many vitamins, minerals and nutrients. (Processed grains, such as white flour are not a good source of nutrition) All the nutrients a human needs is supplied by eating a variety of these items in as close to their natural states as possible.
6. While some people do not do well on cow's milk, some can digest the higher fat foods such as butter. And some folks handle yogurt because of the enzymes (best if no sugar added type).
7. Here are some examples of meals a child might eat without milk or dairy products: Breakfast: scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit (water to drink) Snack: popcorn or crackers with peanut butter Lunch: soup (any kind--possibly with a meat) Snack: fruit or veggie sticks Dinner: meat or some kind or pasta dish with soy cheese, cooked/steamed broccoli -- or --baked red or white potato with butter and soy cheese with a green veggie
8. Whole Foods has a huge assortment of dairy free convenience foods (frozen pizza, etc) and replacement products that are nice but not necessary such as non -dairy sour cream, nut or rice milk, soy ice cream, various non-dairy cheeses and spreads. So the easiest answer to your question is--As long as your daughter is getting a variety of natural foods, cow's milk and dairy products are not necessary in her diet. One can replace the calcium in milk with beans, whole grains, and greens. The protein is replaced with eggs, meat, beans, whole grains (actually most everything we eat has a little bit of protein). The fats are replaced by eating meat, eggs, olive oil. The Carbohydrates are replaced by eating fruits and whole grains. Plenty of water should be a part of every one's daily diet. (8 - 10 oz per 20 pounds of body weight or 1/2 your body weight in pounds should be consumed in ounces of water, i.e. a 100 pound person should drink 50 ounces of water). Juice is not necessary.
Why doesn't everybody know this?
If you start digging you will find that it is actually hard to find info on the how dairy is not needed for a healthy diet. A few things to keep in mind:
1. The milk lobby is incredibly powerful.
2. Most medical doctors have little nutritional background.
3. The health of your child is your responsibility.
4. Many people throughout the world have long lived without dairy and yet they have strong bones.
Happy Parenting!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Good Pregnancy
Does a Good Pregnancy Exist?
I was recently eating with some other women at a female function and since I am obviously pregnant someone asked me how I was feeling. I said "I feel good. I have good pregnancies" to which the response was- " I didn't know that existed." YES- it is possible to have a good pregnancy!
But this comment, probably meant in jest really got me thinking about the way we view pregnancy and how thinking of pregnancy as the disease, really leads us down the path of thinking that birth is little more than the operation to rid our bodies of some contaminant.
All About Suffering?
When I was pregnant with my first, I had a few friends who had recently lost babies a little late in the game (past that magical 12 week point) and of course I knew people who just were not able to get pregnant. So I told myself that I would not complain about my pregnancy but instead be grateful for it.
I will admit right now that I have of course complained while pregnant- I did have one in the summer in Texas- I am not super woman and of course I complain. I am not even judging women who do complain. I know that I probably do have it pretty easy and I certainly can not be in somebody else's body and experience what they are feeling.
Despite all of this I notice that so much of what I hear abut pregnancy is about the problems related to it. Swelling, farting, gaining weight (I admit, this one I have a hard time not complaining about - seriously 45 pounds!?), stretch marks, the constant urination, bleeding gums, urinary tract infections, illness, morning sickness, headaches, tiredness, the list goes on and on. In fact, if you read pretty much any book on pregnancy, you will find a chapter devoted simply to common complaints!
The Positive Side of Pregnancy
There is another side, and one we should try to concentrate on a little more. While pregnant with my first, I worked till the end and I felt an enormous kinship with people around me that I had never noticed before.
Nearly everyone I met asked about the baby and told me about their kids and grand kids, their pregnancy's and births. Sometimes we view this as annoying, all the extra advise, but it is really an amazing life altering event that everybody shares in in some way. We have all been born and many of us have family ties that are very important to us. Being pregnant and having children is one of the most universal events we can experience.
I realized that people love their families. The world is not all gloom and doom and people who do not care. Being obviously pregnant in a public setting every day I had the opportunity to listen to people tell me what they most loved about their families and their children.
One person after another told me that it was worth it and that children were amazing. Grandparents talked about their grand babies. Other women shared their stories (and yes, even some of their complaints) but we got to talk together and connect in a way that I never had with complete strangers. I felt oddly like I was now part of a universal sisterhood of women that had always existed, but that I had just never noticed.
The Amazing Baby
One of my favorite things about pregnancy is feeling the baby move. It seems to make all the other uncomfortable parts worth it and is something I look forward to. It is an awe inspiring thing to actually feel another human who is actually part of you for a short while.
What really is mind boggling to me though is that you can feel the spirit of that baby before it is even born. Mom's who have had a few will tell you that they can even tell some of the personality traits before they are born. This is a unique opportunity as women and one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. It is a special time when the baby is kind of yours alone to enjoy and be with.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/fetus/ss/ninemonths.htm
Staying Healthy While Pregnant = Feeling Better
Despite the wonderful things about pregnancy- there are some true discomforts, many however are a direct result of how we eat, take care of ourselves, or, like labor, they are trying to tell us something.
One approach to pain is to mask it- this is what we often do with everything from headaches to labor contractions. You can take a pill- or we can look a little deeper and try to figure out why our body feels this way and what it is trying to tell us.
For example- headaches in pregnancy. I get them frequently the first trimester, and I almost never get them when not pregnant. Now, you have probably been told that it is perfectly safe to take Tylenol while pregnant. This would just mask the symptom (I won't even get started on the avoidance of drugs of any kind while pregnant) but it does not address the cause.
For many women, the headaches are a sign of low blood sugar. Your body is working hard to build a baby and a placenta, and it needs fuel. Much more than normal. The headaches can be a sign of low blood sugar and the need to eat or drink more water. By just taking a pill, not only are you not addressing the cause, it is quite possible that you are denying your body and baby of fuel that it is desperately trying to tell you that it needs.
Women in this country are amazingly sick while pregnant. Even wealthy women suffer from toxemia, which I have not doubt, makes you feel pretty badly. Look around, many pregnant women don't have a lovely glow, they look ill. We must listen to what our body is trying to tell us if we want to stay healthy while pregnant.
The Brewer Diet is an excellent guideline along with- lots of raw foods! Try it and feel better while pregnant. Also- plenty of sleep helps! And the pregnancy exercises!
http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/
http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/exercise/exercise.htm
The Mind Set= Do We Want People to Treat Us Like Victims?
Do we want people to pity us because we are pregnant? Sadly, this is probably true to some degree. Pregnancy is a time when we as women can actually catch a break! I have to admit I have of course let the house get messy and gone out to eat because- "I'm pregnant".
When women are expected to do so much and noticed for so little of it, it is nice to have a little bit of attention and get a little bit of help around the house - and truthfully- we deserve it. The only down side of this is that sometimes we help encourage the idea that pregnancy, birth, and everything that goes along with it is a disaster waiting to happen. When- truly, it is one of our most powerful moments.
I was recently eating with some other women at a female function and since I am obviously pregnant someone asked me how I was feeling. I said "I feel good. I have good pregnancies" to which the response was- " I didn't know that existed." YES- it is possible to have a good pregnancy!
But this comment, probably meant in jest really got me thinking about the way we view pregnancy and how thinking of pregnancy as the disease, really leads us down the path of thinking that birth is little more than the operation to rid our bodies of some contaminant.
All About Suffering?
When I was pregnant with my first, I had a few friends who had recently lost babies a little late in the game (past that magical 12 week point) and of course I knew people who just were not able to get pregnant. So I told myself that I would not complain about my pregnancy but instead be grateful for it.
I will admit right now that I have of course complained while pregnant- I did have one in the summer in Texas- I am not super woman and of course I complain. I am not even judging women who do complain. I know that I probably do have it pretty easy and I certainly can not be in somebody else's body and experience what they are feeling.
Despite all of this I notice that so much of what I hear abut pregnancy is about the problems related to it. Swelling, farting, gaining weight (I admit, this one I have a hard time not complaining about - seriously 45 pounds!?), stretch marks, the constant urination, bleeding gums, urinary tract infections, illness, morning sickness, headaches, tiredness, the list goes on and on. In fact, if you read pretty much any book on pregnancy, you will find a chapter devoted simply to common complaints!
The Positive Side of Pregnancy
There is another side, and one we should try to concentrate on a little more. While pregnant with my first, I worked till the end and I felt an enormous kinship with people around me that I had never noticed before.
Nearly everyone I met asked about the baby and told me about their kids and grand kids, their pregnancy's and births. Sometimes we view this as annoying, all the extra advise, but it is really an amazing life altering event that everybody shares in in some way. We have all been born and many of us have family ties that are very important to us. Being pregnant and having children is one of the most universal events we can experience.
I realized that people love their families. The world is not all gloom and doom and people who do not care. Being obviously pregnant in a public setting every day I had the opportunity to listen to people tell me what they most loved about their families and their children.
One person after another told me that it was worth it and that children were amazing. Grandparents talked about their grand babies. Other women shared their stories (and yes, even some of their complaints) but we got to talk together and connect in a way that I never had with complete strangers. I felt oddly like I was now part of a universal sisterhood of women that had always existed, but that I had just never noticed.
The Amazing Baby
One of my favorite things about pregnancy is feeling the baby move. It seems to make all the other uncomfortable parts worth it and is something I look forward to. It is an awe inspiring thing to actually feel another human who is actually part of you for a short while.
What really is mind boggling to me though is that you can feel the spirit of that baby before it is even born. Mom's who have had a few will tell you that they can even tell some of the personality traits before they are born. This is a unique opportunity as women and one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. It is a special time when the baby is kind of yours alone to enjoy and be with.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/fetus/ss/ninemonths.htm
Staying Healthy While Pregnant = Feeling Better
Despite the wonderful things about pregnancy- there are some true discomforts, many however are a direct result of how we eat, take care of ourselves, or, like labor, they are trying to tell us something.
One approach to pain is to mask it- this is what we often do with everything from headaches to labor contractions. You can take a pill- or we can look a little deeper and try to figure out why our body feels this way and what it is trying to tell us.
For example- headaches in pregnancy. I get them frequently the first trimester, and I almost never get them when not pregnant. Now, you have probably been told that it is perfectly safe to take Tylenol while pregnant. This would just mask the symptom (I won't even get started on the avoidance of drugs of any kind while pregnant) but it does not address the cause.
For many women, the headaches are a sign of low blood sugar. Your body is working hard to build a baby and a placenta, and it needs fuel. Much more than normal. The headaches can be a sign of low blood sugar and the need to eat or drink more water. By just taking a pill, not only are you not addressing the cause, it is quite possible that you are denying your body and baby of fuel that it is desperately trying to tell you that it needs.
Women in this country are amazingly sick while pregnant. Even wealthy women suffer from toxemia, which I have not doubt, makes you feel pretty badly. Look around, many pregnant women don't have a lovely glow, they look ill. We must listen to what our body is trying to tell us if we want to stay healthy while pregnant.
The Brewer Diet is an excellent guideline along with- lots of raw foods! Try it and feel better while pregnant. Also- plenty of sleep helps! And the pregnancy exercises!
http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/
http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/exercise/exercise.htm
The Mind Set= Do We Want People to Treat Us Like Victims?
Do we want people to pity us because we are pregnant? Sadly, this is probably true to some degree. Pregnancy is a time when we as women can actually catch a break! I have to admit I have of course let the house get messy and gone out to eat because- "I'm pregnant".
When women are expected to do so much and noticed for so little of it, it is nice to have a little bit of attention and get a little bit of help around the house - and truthfully- we deserve it. The only down side of this is that sometimes we help encourage the idea that pregnancy, birth, and everything that goes along with it is a disaster waiting to happen. When- truly, it is one of our most powerful moments.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Unassisted Birth
During my first year of college I took an Anthropology 101 class that simply caused me to fall in love with the subject. One of the books we read was called Nisa, and was an anthropological study of a woman in the Kung tribe in Africa. It covered many aspects of her life as told to a female anthropologist. One thing that was mentioned was the births of her children. In her culture the ideal was for women to give birth alone. It was seen as a normal female right of passage and in a way proved their womanhood much like in our culture war or military training makes men out of boys. Typically though, even though a solitary birth was the ideal, a woman was assisted by experienced women for the birth of her first child. But Nisa, the woman in the book had her first child (around the age of 16) alone. She went out to the bush, squatted next to a tree and caught her first born. It was something she was proud of.
Fast forward a few years, I have had a few kids and am involved in the natural childbirth community. I hear of a woman in the area I live in who has had an unassisted birth and it has gone badly. There were complications and unknowns and a baby that is damaged. (I have no idea if this was because of the birth choices or just simply something that would have happened anyway.) I am horrified to learn of this "new" trend of unassisted birth. I fully believe in and support home birth assisted by a trained professional midwife but this- so weird! As I ponder this subject though, I realize that this is not the first time I have heard of this. I learned about it years earlier but it seemed fine for a non-western woman, why so scary in this country?
I have a birth video of a family welcoming their fifth child into their family. I had the opportunity to watch the video with the people who filmed it and and I notice that there is no midwife there. So I ask, where is the midwife? The filmmaker jokes, "Well, the father [who caught the baby] had a Doctorate in Geology so he was kind of a doctor." As it turns out this family had had all their children unassisted at home with dad catching and had agreed to share this experience, the only time people other than immediate family had been present at the birth. It is a beautiful birth with entire family there and strikingly, a very smooth posterior birth with no tearing and mom giving everybody orders!
Fast forward a little bit more, now pregnant with my third, and feeling pretty comfortable about the idea of birth, but feeling very broke, the idea seems less and less odd. As it turns out, a low income woman, without health insurance doesn't have a ton of options when it comes to birth. In some states government assisted health care covers out of hospital birth (usually birth centers) but home birth, think again. Though much cheaper and proven as safe as hospital birth (for low risk women) often health insurance of any kind does not cover home birth. So what is a woman with no insurance and little extra cash to do? Home birth with a trained midwife runs around $4000 dollars, plus any testing or other expenses that mom must take care of. Just go for the hospital birth and hope for the best? What if mom is shooting for a v-back? In the small town I live in the local hospital does not permit v-bac. So, a v-bac hospital birth is out of the question for many women. Midwives who will cover this are getting harder and harder to find as fear on the subject increases despite many studies showing that it is really quite safe. When a woman strongly desires a home birth, but lacks insurance and can't afford to hire her own midwife, it suddenly becomes apparent that she does not have as many options as we might think. Add in any past surgical births and things get even more complicated.
Enter unassisted birth. Suddenly the idea makes a little more sense. I personally would never encourage anybody to have an unassisted birth. But, I would never encourage anybody to have a hospital birth or a midwife assisted home birth either. That decision and all responsibilities and risks associated with it are the mothers burden to carry, nobody else's. I do not feel like I can make that decision for anybody else and I am flabbergasted that so many feel like they are perfectly able to decide how everybody else should have their babies.
There are many many women in this country who are so fearful of birth that home is the last place that they should bear their children, much less alone. There are many women also, so fearful of the hospital that they should probably stay far from it if they want to have a normal birth. Women need to make the choice that is best for them. Honestly, I think it should be made prayerfully, thoughtfully, and with a keen awareness of what is best for you and your baby, not to mention taking full responsibility for the possibility of problem no matter what your choice. So often all we listen to is our fear and it makes it really hard to listen to our intuition. This is possibly one of the biggest problems in birth in modern America. We are so afraid, most women have lost all faith in themselves and their babies and their bodies. This is a modern tragedy. This is what this blog is really about to me, believing in ourselves and our bodies and our natural abilities and recognizing the inherent power in them.
Now, I won't say what my choice will be or what anybody else's should be. But I have noticed that as time goes on I am more understanding of the choices of others and I personally, have no desire to make those choices for them. By the way, the idea of unassisted birth no longer seems so scary or dangerous to me. It is done in many cultures and has been going on for many years. When I look at obstetrics in this country today, I am not surprised to see that there is a growing unassisted birth movement. It will probably continue to grow as hospitals become more and more inhospitable.
Fast forward a few years, I have had a few kids and am involved in the natural childbirth community. I hear of a woman in the area I live in who has had an unassisted birth and it has gone badly. There were complications and unknowns and a baby that is damaged. (I have no idea if this was because of the birth choices or just simply something that would have happened anyway.) I am horrified to learn of this "new" trend of unassisted birth. I fully believe in and support home birth assisted by a trained professional midwife but this- so weird! As I ponder this subject though, I realize that this is not the first time I have heard of this. I learned about it years earlier but it seemed fine for a non-western woman, why so scary in this country?
I have a birth video of a family welcoming their fifth child into their family. I had the opportunity to watch the video with the people who filmed it and and I notice that there is no midwife there. So I ask, where is the midwife? The filmmaker jokes, "Well, the father [who caught the baby] had a Doctorate in Geology so he was kind of a doctor." As it turns out this family had had all their children unassisted at home with dad catching and had agreed to share this experience, the only time people other than immediate family had been present at the birth. It is a beautiful birth with entire family there and strikingly, a very smooth posterior birth with no tearing and mom giving everybody orders!
Fast forward a little bit more, now pregnant with my third, and feeling pretty comfortable about the idea of birth, but feeling very broke, the idea seems less and less odd. As it turns out, a low income woman, without health insurance doesn't have a ton of options when it comes to birth. In some states government assisted health care covers out of hospital birth (usually birth centers) but home birth, think again. Though much cheaper and proven as safe as hospital birth (for low risk women) often health insurance of any kind does not cover home birth. So what is a woman with no insurance and little extra cash to do? Home birth with a trained midwife runs around $4000 dollars, plus any testing or other expenses that mom must take care of. Just go for the hospital birth and hope for the best? What if mom is shooting for a v-back? In the small town I live in the local hospital does not permit v-bac. So, a v-bac hospital birth is out of the question for many women. Midwives who will cover this are getting harder and harder to find as fear on the subject increases despite many studies showing that it is really quite safe. When a woman strongly desires a home birth, but lacks insurance and can't afford to hire her own midwife, it suddenly becomes apparent that she does not have as many options as we might think. Add in any past surgical births and things get even more complicated.
Enter unassisted birth. Suddenly the idea makes a little more sense. I personally would never encourage anybody to have an unassisted birth. But, I would never encourage anybody to have a hospital birth or a midwife assisted home birth either. That decision and all responsibilities and risks associated with it are the mothers burden to carry, nobody else's. I do not feel like I can make that decision for anybody else and I am flabbergasted that so many feel like they are perfectly able to decide how everybody else should have their babies.
There are many many women in this country who are so fearful of birth that home is the last place that they should bear their children, much less alone. There are many women also, so fearful of the hospital that they should probably stay far from it if they want to have a normal birth. Women need to make the choice that is best for them. Honestly, I think it should be made prayerfully, thoughtfully, and with a keen awareness of what is best for you and your baby, not to mention taking full responsibility for the possibility of problem no matter what your choice. So often all we listen to is our fear and it makes it really hard to listen to our intuition. This is possibly one of the biggest problems in birth in modern America. We are so afraid, most women have lost all faith in themselves and their babies and their bodies. This is a modern tragedy. This is what this blog is really about to me, believing in ourselves and our bodies and our natural abilities and recognizing the inherent power in them.
Now, I won't say what my choice will be or what anybody else's should be. But I have noticed that as time goes on I am more understanding of the choices of others and I personally, have no desire to make those choices for them. By the way, the idea of unassisted birth no longer seems so scary or dangerous to me. It is done in many cultures and has been going on for many years. When I look at obstetrics in this country today, I am not surprised to see that there is a growing unassisted birth movement. It will probably continue to grow as hospitals become more and more inhospitable.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Atlantic Article- Breastfeeding
Maybe I need something I am angry about to post! Well I found one. I subscribe to a magazine called The Atlantic and this months issue has an article written by a breastfeeding mother of three detailing what she believes to be the over-inflated benefits of breastfeeding and why bottle-feeding is basically as good and much more convenient for the mother. If you have read my blog at all you will know that of course I disagree!
In the article she states that upon reviewing the research she found that the evidence touting the benefits of breastfeeding is thin and has been overinflated. As a mother, simply based on what I see around me I believe this is false. I can look at a baby and tell if they are being breast or bottle fed. Their skin looks different, their fat looks different, they smell different. But- the author, Hannah Rosen claims that the evidence is thin and has been inflated by various groups.
Even if this is the case (and lets assume for a moment that it is) this is easily explainable by a few things. First, it is difficult at best to get a good sample group of breastfed infants. Children nurse for various lengths of time, mothers supplement, some start solids earlier, family history and other environmental factors can certainly play a role in allergies, diabetes, and disease that is believed to be prevented by breastfeeding. So when doing a study, it is hard to find a group that have all the same factors. Are studies including a child breastfed for 3 days with one who is nursed for 3 years and considering both in the breastfeeding group? It is hard to get a perfect sample group, if not impossible. Second, where is the funding for massive amounts of pro-breastfeeding research? Almost nobody stands to profit if the breastfeeding relationship is encouraged. In fact, many people stand to lose money, from the formula companies themselves, to baby food companies, to pharmaceutical companies that profit from childhood illnesses that could be prevented through breastfeeding. Even medical doctors will see less of their patients if the benefits of breastfeeding are real. As you probably know, pharmaceutical companies can actually speed approval of their drugs by making large donations to the FDA. (I am not making this up!). If a study is done on said drug and the findings are negative, it will simply not be published. This is not conspiracy theory, this is fact and it is not even illegal, it is just done. Given all of this information can we really believe that even if there are few good studies about the benefits of breastfeeding, that this is actually an accurate portrayal of the truth? I do not believe we can.
When I talked to my mother about this article she said she didn't need a research study to tell her that breastfeeding was better! IT'S OBVIOUS! She went on to say that we wouldn't have been designed to nurse if it was not superior. How could an impostor created in a lab from low grade vitamins, corn syrup, cow milk or soy milk powder and who knows what else, be superior to the perfection that our body creates miraculously at the birth of a child? It simply blows me away that we are still or have ever heard the argument that anything else could possibly come anywhere close to being as good.
Why does this idea continue and prevail? I know I start to sound more like a ranting woman when I say this but I believe the answer lies deep within our cultural biases against women. The fact that a currently breastfeeding mother could buy into this herself is proof of the pervasiveness of misogyny in our culture. Women are constantly told that there is nothing they can do that a man can not do just as well. I am all for equality, but I do believe that men and women and different and have distinct and perfect roles. For a woman the beauty and power of her is that she can bring forth and nourish life. There is nothing that compares to this in scope and feeling. Birth and breastfeeding are female power made real and raw. If you do not believe that there is a deep seated hatred of women's peculiar and elusive powers then take a second look at what is going on concerning these things in this country. The c-section rate is at one third! One THIRD of women and doctors do not believe that their VAGINA'S WORK. Many obstetric surgeons believe, I kid you not, that it is simply a design flaw and that surgery is a better option.
When it comes to feeding our babies, there are huge problems. Many women do not receive the support they need, do not value it, or simply are fighting an uphill battle and fail to breastfeed. In countries where breastfeeding is supported the breastfeeding rates are around 98%. To say that some women can not breastfeed is true, we just think that far fewer women are capable than really are. Formula feeding again shows our belief that something made in a lab by a bunch of men is just as good or better than something that a mother makes on her own. Why do we buy these lies! Is it because we believe them ourselves? Do we really have confidence in our bodies and our innate abilities? Do we even believe that it matters? Or do we only value the work that we do that can be measured by monetary means? That is how men measure their value, but it does not have to be how we measure ours. We can believe that we matter based on anther scale. We can believe that our work is real even if nobody else does. We can be stronger and more confident than we have been and we can share this power with other women.
I encourage you to read the below article and write a letter to the editor- I did!
Below is the link to the article in the Atlantic titled "The Case Against Breastfeeding" and the next post has a video link of an interview with the author.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding
In the article she states that upon reviewing the research she found that the evidence touting the benefits of breastfeeding is thin and has been overinflated. As a mother, simply based on what I see around me I believe this is false. I can look at a baby and tell if they are being breast or bottle fed. Their skin looks different, their fat looks different, they smell different. But- the author, Hannah Rosen claims that the evidence is thin and has been inflated by various groups.
Even if this is the case (and lets assume for a moment that it is) this is easily explainable by a few things. First, it is difficult at best to get a good sample group of breastfed infants. Children nurse for various lengths of time, mothers supplement, some start solids earlier, family history and other environmental factors can certainly play a role in allergies, diabetes, and disease that is believed to be prevented by breastfeeding. So when doing a study, it is hard to find a group that have all the same factors. Are studies including a child breastfed for 3 days with one who is nursed for 3 years and considering both in the breastfeeding group? It is hard to get a perfect sample group, if not impossible. Second, where is the funding for massive amounts of pro-breastfeeding research? Almost nobody stands to profit if the breastfeeding relationship is encouraged. In fact, many people stand to lose money, from the formula companies themselves, to baby food companies, to pharmaceutical companies that profit from childhood illnesses that could be prevented through breastfeeding. Even medical doctors will see less of their patients if the benefits of breastfeeding are real. As you probably know, pharmaceutical companies can actually speed approval of their drugs by making large donations to the FDA. (I am not making this up!). If a study is done on said drug and the findings are negative, it will simply not be published. This is not conspiracy theory, this is fact and it is not even illegal, it is just done. Given all of this information can we really believe that even if there are few good studies about the benefits of breastfeeding, that this is actually an accurate portrayal of the truth? I do not believe we can.
When I talked to my mother about this article she said she didn't need a research study to tell her that breastfeeding was better! IT'S OBVIOUS! She went on to say that we wouldn't have been designed to nurse if it was not superior. How could an impostor created in a lab from low grade vitamins, corn syrup, cow milk or soy milk powder and who knows what else, be superior to the perfection that our body creates miraculously at the birth of a child? It simply blows me away that we are still or have ever heard the argument that anything else could possibly come anywhere close to being as good.
Why does this idea continue and prevail? I know I start to sound more like a ranting woman when I say this but I believe the answer lies deep within our cultural biases against women. The fact that a currently breastfeeding mother could buy into this herself is proof of the pervasiveness of misogyny in our culture. Women are constantly told that there is nothing they can do that a man can not do just as well. I am all for equality, but I do believe that men and women and different and have distinct and perfect roles. For a woman the beauty and power of her is that she can bring forth and nourish life. There is nothing that compares to this in scope and feeling. Birth and breastfeeding are female power made real and raw. If you do not believe that there is a deep seated hatred of women's peculiar and elusive powers then take a second look at what is going on concerning these things in this country. The c-section rate is at one third! One THIRD of women and doctors do not believe that their VAGINA'S WORK. Many obstetric surgeons believe, I kid you not, that it is simply a design flaw and that surgery is a better option.
When it comes to feeding our babies, there are huge problems. Many women do not receive the support they need, do not value it, or simply are fighting an uphill battle and fail to breastfeed. In countries where breastfeeding is supported the breastfeeding rates are around 98%. To say that some women can not breastfeed is true, we just think that far fewer women are capable than really are. Formula feeding again shows our belief that something made in a lab by a bunch of men is just as good or better than something that a mother makes on her own. Why do we buy these lies! Is it because we believe them ourselves? Do we really have confidence in our bodies and our innate abilities? Do we even believe that it matters? Or do we only value the work that we do that can be measured by monetary means? That is how men measure their value, but it does not have to be how we measure ours. We can believe that we matter based on anther scale. We can believe that our work is real even if nobody else does. We can be stronger and more confident than we have been and we can share this power with other women.
I encourage you to read the below article and write a letter to the editor- I did!
Below is the link to the article in the Atlantic titled "The Case Against Breastfeeding" and the next post has a video link of an interview with the author.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Breastfeeding and Formula Companies
I just discovered the Dr Jay Gordon website which has some wonderful information on many subjects. There are also a few videos of him being interviewed. This one on breastfeeding is something that every expecting mother should watch.
Here is his website:
http://www.drjaygordon.com
and here is the video:
Here is his website:
http://www.drjaygordon.com
and here is the video:
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Achieving A Natural Birth
Sounds easy enough, right?
When I talk to first time mothers to be I often find that they like the idea of natural birth, but just want to wait and see what happens and if they "can" have one. Yes- and if you are trying to lose ten pounds, are you going to go to your favorite chocolate store, on an empty stomach, hang out for a few hours, and just see how you feel about consuming 4000 calories?! Not possible!! You have to put yourself in a position of power and safety. In our current obstetric system, the fact is, most women are not going to get anywhere near a natural birth without a LOT of preparation on their part. This is a totally natural, everyday event- but it is not viewed that way in this country nor is it seen that way by many obstetric surgeons. It is viewed as a disease and treated as such. The expecting mom must prepare herself mentally, physically, and emotionally for the life-changing event of birth. Here are a few tips that might help.
1. Take a good class-
I teach the Bradley Method (www.bradleybirth.com) so I am biased toward that method and I feel like it covers pretty much everything that you might need to know. There many other methods out there and some might work better for some women than another. If you are sure you want a natural birth, check out the childbirth class you are looking at and the teacher. Bradley keeps track of their medication rates and c-section rates, as do individual teachers. Some classes are going to prepare you for a natural birth. Some, (particularly hospital classes) are going to prepare you for typical interventions. They vary a lot in length also. You probably will not get all the info you need from a brief one day or one month class.
I love the 12 week format that Bradley promotes. Yes, yes, I know, that takes so much time, and you're broke, and it is a long drive to your teacher. Do not let yourself make excuses. A good class is worth it. Why? Your birth will change you forever. I promise you this. If it goes well you will start your mothering career out with confidence, a partner that admires your hard work and worked right along side you, and an alert and healthy baby that got the best start it could have in life. If it is a horrible and traumatic experience you will possibly, feel depressed and less confident in your mothering abilities and face a longer recovery. Many mom's who have traumatic birth's are injured and exhausted from the ordeal for many months. It takes many, many weeks to recover from surgical birth or a bad tear, sometimes even months. This is no fun when trying to deal with the 24 hour demands of a newborn who needs you even when you need sleep. Let us not forget also, that the first birth is going to effect our subsequent births. Not only may you have negative memories and emotional baggage to work through, if your birth ended in cesarean, it is incredibly difficult to v-bac in this country right now. Many Ob's and hospitals simply refuse to do it. Even many midwives are nervous about it. So, your first birth is important and worth the effort.
So- spend the money (or find a newer, less expensive teacher, or one who is willing to do trade or take payments) and take the time to take a good class. It takes time to make the good habits and lifestyle changes that you need to to be prepared for a natural birth. It also takes time to forget all the wrong things you have learned and to grow in confidence. Mom- if you are gung-ho and have read everything- still take a class!! It will give you a network of support in a world where very few mothers are knowledgeable about birth, it makes your husband learn, and it gives you time to incorporate relaxation, exercise, and diet into your life before you become high risk.
2. Read good birth books-
There is no excuse for not getting this information because it is out there. I have a list of my favorite books on my blog and many are available at the library or can be borrowed by you childbirth educator if you can't buy them.
3. Eat right
Becoming 'mysteriously' high risk (usually climbing blood pressure) is a very common reason for induction and everything that goes along with it. I have a link to the Brewer diet which will almost magically help you stay healthy, grow a healthy baby, and stay low risk. If you take a Bradley class you will learn about this in every class and get lots of tips. Most Americans eat like crap and do not even know how to eat right. This is worth learning and I believe it makes a huge difference in the health of the pregnancy and baby. You will probably not get this info from your care provider. I actually had a MD tell me that the only thing you needed to prevent birth defects was folic acid!!!! This is simply not true. A high protein diet (80-100 grams per day), rich in green vegetables, fruit and health whole grains will make you feel better, look better and grow a baby that is getting what it needs. Many of us are under the impression that the baby will "get what it needs" no matter what we do. The baby can't get something that is not there, and you will become high risk if you eat badly enough.
4. Carefully choose your care provider and birth place-
Take the time to research your OB or Midwife. Ask them specific questions. (Again, a good class will help you know what to ask) What is your c-section rate?- they usually know or at least should! Legally, hospitals have to publish their c-section rates so you can access that info. (Be careful as you read though, they often make the c-section rate look lower by not including repeat section, or c-sections for "good" reason. The overall rate is usually higher.) Ask around about them. Just because your sister loved Dr X does not mean you will. Many women like to schedule their births by induction or c-section or just like to be told what to do. They may love him, but you may hate him. Even with a midwife, check credentials, ask around, and pick one you like. This person is going to share an intimate memory with your family. I also like to have a midwife that gets along with my husband so there is no tension in the room when I am trying to have a baby!
Check out your place of birth too- For example, I lived very near a beautiful hospital in Dallas. It was in a wealthy area, and very clean and organized and well decorated. The staff was nice. They had a 95% induction rate, and a 50% cesarean rate (highest in the state) and everybody got continuous fetal monitoring, delivered on their back in stirrups, was not permitted to move, and had an IV. I do not know how many women I talked to who had their babies there because they just did not think it could happen to them. It can happen to you. Chances are, it will in our current system. If you are going to a hospital just because it is convenient, then you should seriously consider how convenient major abdominal surgery is. It is worth it to drive a ways for good care from somebody you trust who is practicing evidence based obstetrics.
Just a little plug- midwives have about a 10% transport rate for home births while the epidural rate in most hospitals is near 100% and the c-section rate is over 30% nationally. Where you choose to have your baby and who helps you have it is one of the biggest factors in determining how your baby will be born. It is not too late to switch providers until the cord is cut. Your birth is worth it and so are you and your baby.
Relax and believe!-
I know, I just scared you to death. But- your best friend is just being able to relax through labor and believe that you can do it. The belief that birth is painful and scary is so ingrained in our society that we really need to work through that. Even women who have had no bad experience with birth have internalized a lot of these negative ideas. As a culture we do not value women and their unique gifts- learn to value them and grow in confidence. And- practice relaxation every day!
Hope this helps- there is much more to know- but the info is out there- go find it!
When I talk to first time mothers to be I often find that they like the idea of natural birth, but just want to wait and see what happens and if they "can" have one. Yes- and if you are trying to lose ten pounds, are you going to go to your favorite chocolate store, on an empty stomach, hang out for a few hours, and just see how you feel about consuming 4000 calories?! Not possible!! You have to put yourself in a position of power and safety. In our current obstetric system, the fact is, most women are not going to get anywhere near a natural birth without a LOT of preparation on their part. This is a totally natural, everyday event- but it is not viewed that way in this country nor is it seen that way by many obstetric surgeons. It is viewed as a disease and treated as such. The expecting mom must prepare herself mentally, physically, and emotionally for the life-changing event of birth. Here are a few tips that might help.
1. Take a good class-
I teach the Bradley Method (www.bradleybirth.com) so I am biased toward that method and I feel like it covers pretty much everything that you might need to know. There many other methods out there and some might work better for some women than another. If you are sure you want a natural birth, check out the childbirth class you are looking at and the teacher. Bradley keeps track of their medication rates and c-section rates, as do individual teachers. Some classes are going to prepare you for a natural birth. Some, (particularly hospital classes) are going to prepare you for typical interventions. They vary a lot in length also. You probably will not get all the info you need from a brief one day or one month class.
I love the 12 week format that Bradley promotes. Yes, yes, I know, that takes so much time, and you're broke, and it is a long drive to your teacher. Do not let yourself make excuses. A good class is worth it. Why? Your birth will change you forever. I promise you this. If it goes well you will start your mothering career out with confidence, a partner that admires your hard work and worked right along side you, and an alert and healthy baby that got the best start it could have in life. If it is a horrible and traumatic experience you will possibly, feel depressed and less confident in your mothering abilities and face a longer recovery. Many mom's who have traumatic birth's are injured and exhausted from the ordeal for many months. It takes many, many weeks to recover from surgical birth or a bad tear, sometimes even months. This is no fun when trying to deal with the 24 hour demands of a newborn who needs you even when you need sleep. Let us not forget also, that the first birth is going to effect our subsequent births. Not only may you have negative memories and emotional baggage to work through, if your birth ended in cesarean, it is incredibly difficult to v-bac in this country right now. Many Ob's and hospitals simply refuse to do it. Even many midwives are nervous about it. So, your first birth is important and worth the effort.
So- spend the money (or find a newer, less expensive teacher, or one who is willing to do trade or take payments) and take the time to take a good class. It takes time to make the good habits and lifestyle changes that you need to to be prepared for a natural birth. It also takes time to forget all the wrong things you have learned and to grow in confidence. Mom- if you are gung-ho and have read everything- still take a class!! It will give you a network of support in a world where very few mothers are knowledgeable about birth, it makes your husband learn, and it gives you time to incorporate relaxation, exercise, and diet into your life before you become high risk.
2. Read good birth books-
There is no excuse for not getting this information because it is out there. I have a list of my favorite books on my blog and many are available at the library or can be borrowed by you childbirth educator if you can't buy them.
3. Eat right
Becoming 'mysteriously' high risk (usually climbing blood pressure) is a very common reason for induction and everything that goes along with it. I have a link to the Brewer diet which will almost magically help you stay healthy, grow a healthy baby, and stay low risk. If you take a Bradley class you will learn about this in every class and get lots of tips. Most Americans eat like crap and do not even know how to eat right. This is worth learning and I believe it makes a huge difference in the health of the pregnancy and baby. You will probably not get this info from your care provider. I actually had a MD tell me that the only thing you needed to prevent birth defects was folic acid!!!! This is simply not true. A high protein diet (80-100 grams per day), rich in green vegetables, fruit and health whole grains will make you feel better, look better and grow a baby that is getting what it needs. Many of us are under the impression that the baby will "get what it needs" no matter what we do. The baby can't get something that is not there, and you will become high risk if you eat badly enough.
4. Carefully choose your care provider and birth place-
Take the time to research your OB or Midwife. Ask them specific questions. (Again, a good class will help you know what to ask) What is your c-section rate?- they usually know or at least should! Legally, hospitals have to publish their c-section rates so you can access that info. (Be careful as you read though, they often make the c-section rate look lower by not including repeat section, or c-sections for "good" reason. The overall rate is usually higher.) Ask around about them. Just because your sister loved Dr X does not mean you will. Many women like to schedule their births by induction or c-section or just like to be told what to do. They may love him, but you may hate him. Even with a midwife, check credentials, ask around, and pick one you like. This person is going to share an intimate memory with your family. I also like to have a midwife that gets along with my husband so there is no tension in the room when I am trying to have a baby!
Check out your place of birth too- For example, I lived very near a beautiful hospital in Dallas. It was in a wealthy area, and very clean and organized and well decorated. The staff was nice. They had a 95% induction rate, and a 50% cesarean rate (highest in the state) and everybody got continuous fetal monitoring, delivered on their back in stirrups, was not permitted to move, and had an IV. I do not know how many women I talked to who had their babies there because they just did not think it could happen to them. It can happen to you. Chances are, it will in our current system. If you are going to a hospital just because it is convenient, then you should seriously consider how convenient major abdominal surgery is. It is worth it to drive a ways for good care from somebody you trust who is practicing evidence based obstetrics.
Just a little plug- midwives have about a 10% transport rate for home births while the epidural rate in most hospitals is near 100% and the c-section rate is over 30% nationally. Where you choose to have your baby and who helps you have it is one of the biggest factors in determining how your baby will be born. It is not too late to switch providers until the cord is cut. Your birth is worth it and so are you and your baby.
Relax and believe!-
I know, I just scared you to death. But- your best friend is just being able to relax through labor and believe that you can do it. The belief that birth is painful and scary is so ingrained in our society that we really need to work through that. Even women who have had no bad experience with birth have internalized a lot of these negative ideas. As a culture we do not value women and their unique gifts- learn to value them and grow in confidence. And- practice relaxation every day!
Hope this helps- there is much more to know- but the info is out there- go find it!
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